In The Broken Moonlight
by DreamShadow
Summary: One month after the destruction of the Eclipse Cannon, Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge find themselves in a struggle harder than any other. What awaits them will change their lives forever, for better or for worse.


In The Broken Moonlight  
By DreamShadow  
  
(Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a Sonic fic, but after finally picking up Sonic Adventure 2 and beating both games on it, I couldn't resist. I'm a romance writer so I love any challenge video games leave open. Just to let you know this is going to be as accurate to the game as possible, you wont find a swear or out of place word here. I'm also mainly using Robotnic instead of Eggman since all but one game so far has had that as his real name. (I like Robotnic better, anyway) I'll use Eggman for insulting purpose only, like it was used in SA1. Everything in here is the best of both Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, so the Master Emerald isn't just twice the size of a normal Emerald that changes size suddenly, but the world doesn't revolve around the Chao, either. The ages will also go my way: Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge at 18, Amy at 17, and Tails at 15. Let's face it, after this many games, they've grown up.)   
  
Sonic blazed through the abandoned streets in an old part of Station Square, burning a black trail into the concrete under his sneakers, illuminating the buildings under the full moon. The area was long since made useless from Perfect Chaos's attack, perfect for a nighttime run, and a nice scenery change from the forest. Sonic was going all out, all he could see were the blurs of the buildings all around him, but it wasn't enough.  
  
'Come on, I can go faster than this!' Sonic thought to himself, pushing his feet to move faster. He could feel his legs ready to buckle, his feet were sore from the strain, but he didn't care, he had to keep going, had to go as fast as possible... He began to go so fast he had to squint just to keep his eyes in his head.  
  
Suddenly he heard a huge bang from right behind him. In the same instant Sonic stopped and spun around, expecting a sneak attack from Robotnic. The old street was empty, though, except for a rain of glass shards from two of the buildings, one on each side of the street. He had run so fast the wind he gave off had blown out all of the windows in both buildings. At least it alerted him, the circles he was running through the old part of the city were about to take him into the busy areas, he would have hurt someone.  
  
"Life's way too boring without Robotnic running around trying to take over something." Sonic said, stopping his run for the first time in an hour. "At this rate I'd settle for him trying to rule a playground!" The blue hero looked around at the ruined buildings, all with little or no hope of being repaired, and saw one nearby that was tipped over. "Maybe some roof hopping will keep me busier than just running in circles." Wit that he picked up his speed again, running to the fallen building. At his speed he easily scaled the slanted building, leaping from the edge at the top and onto the neighboring building, which still stood straight. He stopped before making another jump, taking a second to look around at the city at night, then up at the moon, still with a good-sized crater from the Eclipse Cannon's shot a month ago.  
  
"I'll bet Eggman ruined a lot of moonlight strolls with that shot." Sonic said, just now realizing how much damage the one shot from the cannon managed to do. "At least Amy can't beg me to take her on one of those anymore." The hedgehog mentally scolded himself for bringing that up. The reason he started his run was to get Amy off of his mind, for some reason today he couldn't stop thinking about her. It wasn't the first time, over the past month she entered his mind over and over, little at first, then steadily more until it went on for days at a time. It was driving Sonic nuts, no matter how much he tried he couldn't stop it.  
  
"I can't believe this, I can stop a cannon from blowing a hole through the planet but I can't get one annoying girl out of my head!?" Again Sonic found himself mentally kicking himself, this time for insulting Amy, though he couldn't believe he did it afterwards. The whole ordeal was really messing with his mind and he couldn't figure out why it was happening. He hadn't even seen Amy much since the Eclipse Cannon incident, just once in a while on the street, but they only exchanged a few words, Amy didn't even do her usual hero admiration routine. It was almost like she wasn't interested anymore...  
  
"Amy not interested in me..." Sonic said to himself. "There's only two things that are impossible, me slowing down and that... I wonder why she's suddenly acting so different, it's not like anything's changed." Thinking about it now Sonic wandered if something had changed, not just with Amy, but maybe himself, too... Sonic walked to the edge of the building and jumped down to the street, landing softly on his feet. He had to stop running from this, he had to think it out or it would never end. For possibly the first time in his life Sonic just felt like walking around the city while he thought this thing out. He walked away from the ruined buildings toward the brightly lit city, half amazed he still knew how to go so slowly.  
  
**********  
  
Knuckles paced around the shrine of the Master Emerald, watching it glitter in the light of the stars and moon. From this spot on the Floating Island the nighttime sky looked more clear than anywhere on the planet, but on the downside the damage Robotnic did to the moon was a lot more clear, ruining the skyline. These days Knuckles avoided looking up at the sight, keeping his eyes on the Master Emerald.  
  
The red echidna walked away from the massive jewel and took a seat at the edge of the island, looking over the edge at the world below. With the view above ruined he had grown to like the view below better. Somehow the sight of birds flying below, rivers flowing, and the occasional overhead view of a rainbow calmed Knuckles. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but whenever he looked down at the land below he always hoped to catch a glimpse of a certain white bat that had occupied his every waking though for the past month.  
  
"Rouge..." Knuckles whispered to himself, thinking outloud. "As soon as that girl entered my life I wanted her out, now that she's gone I just want her back in..." He wasn't the kind to deny any feelings he had, so he accepted this new turn of events. Unfortunately this burden was taking it's toll, he had to stay on the Floating Island to watch the Master Emerald, but it prevented him from going down to the land below to find the girl that was so stuck in his mind. He had only one way of leaving and he had been afraid to take the risk that came with it, but a month of this constant mental torment was more than enough for the red echidna.  
  
"The risk is great, but I won't be able to be a proper guardian until I straighten this out." Knuckles said, leaving his place at the side of the island and walking over to the ruined shrine the Master Emerald rested on. He walked over to the side of the shrine where a ring of water surrounded the massive gemstone. Knuckles looked down into the water, gazing at his reflection, before taking a breath, ready to face whatever consequences this was going to have.  
  
"Chaos, come forth." Knuckles commanded. "I need your help." The original guardian of the emerald was the being known as Chaos, a liquid-humanoid creature born from the Master Emerald. Since the incident at Station Square, Chaos has returned to his place in the shrine's moat, acting as a "back-up" for Knuckles. As Knuckles stepped back the water swelled and flowed into a single point in front of him, forming a fairly large bubble of water in front of him. The bubble slowly took shape, forming into the humanoid shape of Chaos's first form, complete with his crystal eyes and visible brain.  
  
"I know you've lost a lot of power..." Knuckles began, worried about the being's reaction. "But I'm afraid I've got some issues to deal with before I can continue to be a proper guardian for the Master Emerald. I have to go down to the main land to take care of things, so I need you to watch the Master Emerald while I'm away. I'll be back before tomorrow night, I promise." Knuckles looked into the eyes of the liquid creature, awaiting the reaction to his plea. Unable to speak, the blue being simply nodded, understanding, and walked away from Knuckles to take a position in front of the emerald. Knuckles then turned back to the edge of the island, walking over and talking a look over the side at the ground below. He was about to jump down when a sudden thought came to him.  
  
"Even if I can find Rouge, what do I do after that?" He asked himself. Chaos could only maintain his form for a couple of days before he would have to return to a liquid state to rest and the being wasn't nearly as strong as Knuckles now so his duty still remained. Even though he may actually love the jewel-hunting bat, there would be no way to stay with her. "I'll worry about that later, the hardest part is going to be finding her in the first place, I'll need all the time I can get." Knuckles let the situation leave his mind as he jumped from the side of the island, starting the long, hopefully fast glide down to the mainland.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning Sonic found himself walking the sidewalks of Station Square again, this time with Tails accompanying him. He didn't tell the two-tailed fox about his thoughts about Amy, just that he wanted some company for the day. Sonic hadn't decided if he should tell Tails what was going through his mind for the past month, even though Tails was his best friend he didn't know if he should burden his friend with something even he didn't really understand.  
  
"Hey Sonic, we've been wondering around for a while now." Tails said suddenly, breaking Sonic's deep thought. "You said you wanted company but you've been quiet since we met up." Sonic still wasn't sure what to say, he was hoping for a fresh idea from his young friend, unfortunately he had yet to come up with one of his own.  
  
"Oh, sorry Tails..." Sonic said, his head still half in the clouds. "Guess I've had a little too much to think about lately." Tails looked on at his blue friend, a curious look on his face.  
  
"Sonic, if something's up, you can tell me." The fox said. "We've never had any secrets between each other." Tails was right about that, if he wasn't there when it happened, Sonic would tell him about it, so either way they knew everything the other did.  
  
"Well problem is I'm not sure you would understand." Sonic explained. "I'm not even sure I understand it myself." Now Tails was really confused, usually Sonic went on instinct alone, so understanding something usually came down to whatever felt best at the moment. For Sonic to be so confused over something was extremely rare. Tails looked over at his friend, who was watching the ground, again in thought, then looked forward to see what was ahead.  
  
"Well maybe Amy can help you figure it out." Tails suggested, unaware of the problem. Sonic looked over at the two-tailed fox, wondering why he brought that up, then looked ahead, seeing Amy walking their way, a smile on her face as she approached. The hedgehog felt a nervous, almost scared chill run up his spine and through his quills as the female hedgehog walked their way.  
  
"Hey Sonic, hey Tails." Amy said when she was close enough, stopping in front of the two. "Why are you guys roaming around so early in the day?" Sonic was hesitant to answer, hoping Tails would explain for him.  
  
"Just hanging around, you know us." Tails responded, relieving Sonic. "What about you? You're usually not out until noon at least." Amy glanced at Tails, then at Sonic, her smile brightening a bit. Sonic felt a bit of panic in his gut, knowing something was up.  
  
"I'm going to catch the train to the Mystic Ruins." She said. "A friend of mine told me about a patch of flowers growing in the old ruins in the jungle, she said it looked best in the morning sunlight." Sonic knew what was next, he could already see himself being dragged back to the old ruins of the ancient Echidna tribe... Sonic waited, but what he expected didn't come, Amy didn't ask Sonic to come with her or even show she wanted him along.  
  
"So... you're just going by yourself?" Sonic asked. Amy just nodded in response, still smiling at Sonic, looking him in the eyes. The look scared Sonic somehow, it just wasn't the same look he saw in Amy's eyes when she looked into his.  
  
"You and Tails can come if you want, but somehow I think boys wouldn't be as interested in a flower patch as a girl." Amy said. Sonic didn't understand, a month ago Amy took every chance to cling onto him or drag him off to someplace romantic. Here was the best chance she ever had and she didn't even seem to care... Sonic felt a strange feeling in the pit of his gut, a fear he never knew before. A month ago he would have been relieved that Amy didn't want to drag him off, but somehow now he didn't like it, he was worried Amy really wasn't interested anymore... It tangled up Sonic's mind even more, confusing him to no end.  
  
"Sorry, guys, I've gotta get out of here for a while." Sonic said suddenly before speeding off, leaving a blue blur where he once stood. Amy and Tails could only watch as he ran off, both of them confused.  
  
"Tails, you have any idea what that was about?" Amy asked, still looking in the direction Sonic ran off in. Tails just shook his head, also looking down the road.  
  
"He's been acting strange all day." Tails admitted. "I think he's stressed out about something, but whatever it is, he wouldn't tell me about it. I don't get it, he never keeps anything from me..." The announcement worried Amy, but she tried to put it out of her mind.  
  
"Well let me know if you find out what's wrong, I've gotta hurry if I want to see what my friend was talking about so much." Amy said. The pink hedgehog smiled at Tails again before turning to leave, walking past him to the train depot nearby.  
  
"Bye, Amy." Tails said as she left. Soon as she was out of sight Tails looked back at the road Sonic went down. "I've gotta find out what's up... but he's probably already a mile down the road, it'll take forever to catch up..." Tails sighed as he wound up his tails, then started his own run, letting his tails spin behind him to send him forward faster. It wasn't as fast as Sonic but it was good enough to catch up to him.  
  
**********  
  
Amy stepped off the tall ladder leading down to the jungle floor from the mine cart, looking around to find the right path. It has been a long time since she was in this area, it would be a miracle if she could remember the path to the ruined temple. With no better option, she picked the path in front of her and began to walk into the jungle, stepping over the small streams and exposed roots as she went. After circling for about ten minutes she came to a clearing in the trees and vines that lead to the temple, unchanged from her last visit.  
  
"Now where did she say that flower bed was..." Amy whispered to herself, looking around the area. She walked around the area, looking over the mess of wild grass and rubble until she saw a patch of flowers in a corner running along one of the remaining walls that used to surround the temple. "It's beautiful, she was right about it being worth the trip..." Amy looked at the row of flowers along the wall, admiring their colors and beauty. She took a few steps back to get a view of all of the flowers at once. Suddenly she felt something at her feet behind her, making her fall backwards, hitting her back on the hard ground.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're going!" A female voice shouted. The female hedgehog thought she tripped over a rock or a broken piece of the temple, but she never knew stone to complain. Amy sat up, recognizing the voice shouting at her, to see Rouge at her feet, standing up from a freshly burrowed hole in the ground she had just emerged from. The female bat looked down at Amy, surprised. "Oh, it's you. Long time, no see, Amy." Amy was glad to see a friendly face, standing up and brushing off her dress.  
  
"No kidding, it's been a month since I saw you." Amy replied. After the Eclipse Cannon incident Amy was glad another female was in their ranks, but she never managed to keep track of the treasure hunter long enough to actually get in touch with her. "So what are you doing here?" Amy continued. "The Echidna ruins are kind of out of the way for a treasure hunter like you." Rouge looked over at the temple, smiling to herself.  
  
"Well in my experience an old temple usually has some old jewels hidden in it." Rouge said. "Unfortunately the only jewels the Echidna's kept track of were Chaos Emeralds and those manage to hide themselves pretty well." Amy nodded, knowing fairly well where those jewels managed to put themselves. Thinking back to the Eclipse Cannon, Amy did remember a few things that happened.  
  
"Well knowing you around Knuckles, I'm not surprised you picked an Echidna ruin to check out." Amy said, smiling mischievously. Rouge felt a chill in her spine, partially because Amy caught that a month ago, and partly from outrage that she would say something like that. She turned to the pink hedgehog, trying her best to keep a serious face.  
  
"I don't know where you get an idea like that." Rouge said, a bit of anger in her voice. "That echidna was nothing but trouble and he cost me a lot of gems from that overgrown emerald of his..." Amy rolled her eyes, not mentioning how bad Rouge was at lying about Knuckles. It did get her thinking, though, with Rouge's trouble with the guy she cared about, Amy felt like she was going at her own problems the wrong way. Seeing Rouge take a wrong approach made her realize it was time for a better idea.  
  
"You aren't the only one with guy troubles, you know..." Amy said, taking a seat on a piece of the fallen wall. Rouge looked over at the pink hedgehog, suddenly curious. The bat walked over and sat down on the fallen wall beside her, eager to hear. "A couple of years ago, I met Sonic for the first time, when he saved me from Metal Sonic. I've been in love with him ever since, I can't help it... But he was never even slightly interested, not once. He always hated it when I wanted to do something with him that was anywhere close to a date, he loved any chance to ditch me... For the last month I've been trying to just not see him, trying to forget about him. I don't want to be in love with someone that will never love me..." Rouge couldn't believe what she was hearing, she was never aware Amy was so passionate about Sonic. As tough as Rouge was on the outside, she still had feelings, she knew how much someone could be hurt just by their emotions.  
  
"I had no idea..." Rouge said, not sure of what to say next. "Two years is a long time to wait, but you wouldn't have waited so long unless you knew it would be worth it, right?" Rouge had her there, Amy knew it would be worth the wait no matter how long it took, but she could only wait so long without losing all hope and sanity.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so..." Amy replied. "It's just depressing, loving someone that will never love you... I feel like I'm a little kid trying to reach up and grab a star out of the sky, I know I can't get it but I keep trying anyway. Maybe it's just time to grow up..." Rouge didn't know how to reply, she never had any serious relationships or any experiences like this.  
  
"Well I'm sure things will work out." Rouge said, still at a loss for words. Amy stood up from her seat, her head hanging low.  
  
"I hope so..." Amy said quietly. "Thanks for listening Rouge, but I guess I'll have to figure things out on my own..." Without any good-byes Amy walked away, leaving Rouge on her own. She didn't know what to think, she was trying to get away from her own romantic problems only to hear of even worse ones.  
  
"I guess Sonic and Knuckles aren't so different after all." She said to herself, thinking outloud. "Except Knuckles wouldn't lead on so much, he'd just say it flat out... I'm starting to feel like Amy, we're both in love with guys that will never accept us..." To Rouge, her situation was just as bad as Amy's. She loved Knuckles, ever since he saved her from falling into the lava pit. It felt so strange, just a minute before the two were fighting it out fist to fist, she was angry at him for keeping the jewels she wanted. Then in that minute it all changed, a side of Knuckled slipped from his hardened exterior and she fell for it. Unfortunately she knew Knuckles well enough to know he wouldn't let it slip again, even if he did she wouldn't be able to bring herself to break her own exterior. She was a treasure hunter, known for being a no-nonsense fighter, even she had a hard time accepting the fact that she was in love.  
  
"Maybe I should just find Knuckles and just see how things go from there..." She said to herself. "I can't just wonder how it would work for the rest of my life." Rouge stood up, dusting off the back of her pants before walking off. She didn't even know where to find Knuckles, only that she had to find him somehow.  
  
**********  
  
Tails gave up on his tail-propelled sprint, unable to catch up to Sonic on the ground, and now was in the air, flying over the city in hopes of catching Sonic's blur go by on one of the streets below. Sonic rarely ran off like that, but when he did this was the best way to find him. The young fox still had no idea what was going on, this was so unlike Sonic he couldn't believe it. Tails tried to spin his tails faster, but they were going as fast as they could without making him exhausted, forcing him to keep a slower pace. He looked to one side, glancing down between a set of buildings.  
  
Suddenly Tails was hit hard on his blind side, knocking him into a roll, sending him down toward the ground. He managed to clear his head fast enough to give his tails one last spin, pushing him over a bit to land on a building nearby. Tails hit on his back with a loud thud, rolling backwards once before coming to a stop, dazed and sore from both impacts. He heard a small thud nearby, meaning whatever hit him must have landed on the same rooftop. Tails shook his head, trying to shake out the dizziness, before standing up, still a little drained. He looked over to where he heard the thud, seeing a familiar red person also making his way to his feet.  
  
"Knuckles?" Tails said, surprised. Knuckles made it to his feet and looked over, seeing Tails. "Guess I should watch where I'm flying from now on." Knuckles managed a small grin, then walked over to the two-tailed fox.  
  
"Hey, I'm the one that bulldozed into you." Knuckles joked. "What's got you so distracted, anyway? You're too good at flying to just miss me coming." Tails could still feel the sting from the echidna's hit on his side, it didn't help that Knuckles glided around fists first.  
  
"Looking for Sonic." He responded. "We were talking to Amy and he suddenly ran off without saying why. He's been acting strange all day and he hasn't told me why." Now that he thought about it, Tails didn't see why Knuckles would be away from his post like this. "Why are you here? Usually you never leave the Master Emerald's side." Knuckles nodded, not sure if he should tell Tails what's going on.  
  
"Well..." He began. "I'm looking for someone, it's kind of important." Now Tails was curious, Knuckles was too dedicated to his duty to leave just to look for someone.  
  
"Who are you looking for?" Tails asked, immediately worrying the echidna. "I'm not having any luck with Sonic, maybe I can help you look." Now Knuckles was cornered, he needed all the help he could get, but he was scared of showing a soft side he never had before. He knew Sonic would tease him to no end, but maybe Tails was more understanding...  
  
"It's..." He began, still uncertain. He hung his head low, closing is eyes as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "...it's Rouge. I'm trying to find Rouge." Now Tails was confused, why would Knuckles be going after the person that last tried to take the Master Emerald?  
  
"Don't tell me Rouge took the Master Emerald." Tails said, jumping to the obvious conclusion. "I thought she was getting out of jewel hunting." Knuckles snapped to attention and mentally kicked himself for not explaining it better the first time, now Tails thought she was an enemy again.  
  
"No, the Master Emerald is fine." Knuckles explained quickly. "I just need to talk to Rouge, I've had a few things on my mind that I have to clear up." Tails was relieved to hear Rouge didn't go back to the bad guys, but now he didn't know of any reason Knuckles could be looking for her.  
  
"So why look for Rouge?" The fox asked. "You wouldn't have left the Floating Island just to find her for no reason." Knuckles was beginning to wonder if Tails had an end to his curiosity, it kept forcing him back into the same corner he thought he was just getting out of. There would be no end to this unless he was completely honest about it.  
  
"Well, I just..." Knuckles started, no idea on how to say this. "I've had a lot of things to think about lately and a big part of them is about Rouge... I just have to get things straightened out with her." Tails might be young, but he knew a lot for his age and was starting to put pieces of the puzzle together. The fox giggled a little, making Knuckles the confused one.   
  
"Okay, I get it now." Tails said. "For someone so tough you fall in love pretty easily, don't you?" The echidna blushed fiercely at Tails's sudden announcement, the statement was just as embarrassing as it was true. That was the giveaway, though, Knuckles couldn't deny it now. He was starting to see why Sonic teamed with Tails so much, the fox's mind was as sharp as Sonic's quills.   
  
"Guess you've got me..." The echidna said quietly. "She's been on my mind for the past month and I guess I just hit the breaking point last night. I've got to find her and straighten things up if I want to be a proper guardian for the Master Emerald." Hearing this situation made Tails wonder about why Sonic ran off, thinking back to earlier that day. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't just Sonic acting funny, Amy wasn't herself, either. She didn't hang off of Sonic or drag him off with her to the flower bed she wanted to see.   
  
"Hmm..." Tails said out loud. "Sonic wasn't acting right this morning, but he only ran off when we were talking to Amy. She wasn't herself, either... I wonder if Sonic's got the same problem." Knuckles didn't think much of Tails's theory, but then again after what he had been through he was ready to believe anything was possible. If he could fall for someone who tried to steal the Master Emerald, maybe Sonic could fall for the girl that had been chasing him for years.   
  
"Yeah, Sonic isn't the best at dealing with Amy, even I know that." Knuckles said. "I've gotta get going, I'll have to cover a lot of ground to find Rouge. If I run into Sonic, I'll let him know you're worried about him." Tails nodded in reply, glad to have the help looking for him. Knuckles gave a quick wave before turning and walking to the edge of the building, looking over the edge before jumping into the air and gliding away. Now Tails was on his own again, left to hunt down Sonic. Now that he thought about it, it might help just as much if he could find Amy, as well, if both of them were acting strange then maybe both had problems to work through. Tails jumped into the air, then spun his tails at full speed, sending him higher into the air, restarting his aerial search.   
  
**********   
  
Knuckles couldn't believe he was so distracted looking for Rouge that he would slam right into Tails and send them both reeling. Usually he could keep focused on a search from the air, but what he was searching for was a distraction even by thought. Even as he was gliding over the city now it was hard to keep an eye on both the ground and the air in front of him. The echidna was trying to keep himself flying straight, gliding without losing height was really hard to do in the first place and having to look in two directions at once didn't help. He glanced down again at the streets below, hoping to catch a view of the white bat he was so occupied with, but instead noticed a familiar blue object.   
  
"That can't be Sonic, can it?" Knuckles said, slowing down to get a better look. It really was Sonic, sitting on the stone steps of a building, not moving an inch, which was a once in a lifetime thing for the blue hedgehog. "I hate to stop looking, but I did promise Tails I'd tell Sonic he was looking for him..." He figured it was the least he could do to make up for the accident earlier. Knuckles slowed almost completely, letting his dreads slow his descent. As good as they were at gliding they were just as good as a parachute. As he got closer he saw Sonic had his head down, he wouldn't see him until he hit ground. It didn't take long, after another minute Knuckles's red and yellow sneakers hit pavement, startling Sonic. The hedgehog looked up, surprised to see Knuckles come out of nowhere.   
  
"You know it's rude to sneak up on people like that." Sonic said, a strange look in his eyes. Knuckles couldn't quite read it, it was like he hadn't blinked in hours.   
  
"I wouldn't have been sneaking up if you weren't watching the pavement." Knuckles retorted. "Tails has been looking for you, he seems pretty worried." Sonic's expression didn't change, obviously not surprised by Knuckle's announcement.   
  
"I guess I shouldn't have run off like that..." Sonic admitted. "I couldn't help it, I guess I couldn't take it anymore..." Knuckles guessed he was talking about the encounter with Amy, which he still didn't know much about. He walked over to the steps, taking a seat beside Sonic.   
  
"Tails filled me in the best he could." Knuckles said. "Did that run-in with Amy really bother you that much?" Sonic didn't know how to reply, he wasn't sure if he could handle this situation without help, but if possible he would prefer to. After a moment of silence Sonic decided it was worth at least a try, his friendship with the echidna beside him was shaky, but Knuckles was the only relief he had right now.   
  
"Yeah, it did..." Sonic finally admitted. "Amy hasn't been her usual self this past month, she hasn't once done her usual hero worshiping routine, she stopped following me around, and stopped dragging me off to some romantic spot she wanted to see. This morning she was going to see a patch of flowers near the Echidna Temple in the Mystic Ruins, she didn't even ask if I wanted to go with her..." Knuckles was starting to see the problem, though they were a long way from any solution.   
  
"Sonic..." Knuckles began. "If you don't mind me asking, did you want to go with her? Just to see a patch of flowers?" Knuckles waited for an answer, but after a minute Sonic was still silent, making him wonder if he even knew the answer himself.   
  
"...Now that I think about it..." Sonic said quietly. "...I did... Something in me really wanted her to ask me if I wanted to go with her..." Knuckles knew the answer as he asked the question, but hearing it was still unbelievable.   
  
"Sonic, be honest with me, what's the real problem?" Knuckles asked, almost daring Sonic to be completely honest with both of them. "It's not just that you wanted to go with Amy, it's not just that she's stopped hanging all over you." Again Knuckles was sure of the answer, but he knew Sonic would never realize it himself unless he forced him into thinking about it. Again Sonic sat silent for a minute, trying to find the answers for himself. Knuckles watched as Sonic's eyes suddenly shot open, apparently realizing what Knuckles hoped he would realize.   
  
"I don't believe it..." Sonic said, almost doubting his own conclusion. "Knuckles... I think I'm in love with her... I guess I was afraid to realize it..." Knuckles was glad at least one of them was making progress. "Since when were you such a romantic, anyway?" Knuckles was hoping to avoid this, he was on the spot again. At least after confessing to Tails it was easier for him.   
  
"Well you're not the only one that's had girl problems in the last month." The red echidna admitted, making Sonic curious. "Rouge has been on my mind since we parted ways at the Eclipse Cannon, I can't get her off my mind." Sonic couldn't believe this, it was like a weird dream. First he admits he's in love and then he find out Knuckles, of all people, is also in love.   
  
"You left the Master Emerald just to be with Rouge?" Sonic said. "You really are becoming a romantic, aren't you?" Knuckles shook his head, half in denial and half to warn Sonic he was wrong.   
  
"You've got it all wrong." He said, a false glare in his eyes. "She's been a big distraction for the past month, if I don't find her and talk to her about this I can't be a proper guardian." Sonic accepted this reason, but knew it wasn't the end of it.   
  
"Knuckles, I know you." He said, now showing a confident smirk. "You wouldn't leave that giant gem unless the world was on the line, you've got more reason than that to be down here." Knuckles was starting to realize how well Sonic really did know him, after how often they had been against each other he didn't think Sonic had learned anything about him.   
  
"You're right." Knuckles admitted. "I'm in love with her, I realized that about a week ago. At least I managed to admit it to myself." Sonic had to give him that one, for someone as rock hard as him, at least he accepted it faster.   
  
"Hey, chill out, Knucklehead." Sonic said jokingly. "There's nothing wrong with us. Just two lonely heroes that are tired of saving the world and not getting the girl." Knuckles liked the sound of getting the girl at the end of an adventure, like an action movie but with a better plot.   
  
"Well at least yours is easier to find." Knuckles said. "You've got an idea of where Amy might be, the girl I'm looking for could be anywhere on the planet." Knuckles stood up from the steps, ready to get back to his search.   
  
"Well don't sound so depressed over it." Sonic said, also standing up. "She found you in the first place, she might find you again." Knuckles could only hope it would be so easy, but he was running out of time.   
  
"All the same, I've gotta keep looking." Knuckles said. "I hope you find Amy soon." Sonic nodded, smiling for the first time in hours.   
  
"I hope so, too." He replied. "Good luck finding Rouge." Knuckles smiled, knowing he'd need it. He walked over to the side of the building, punching into it, digging a knuckle into the brick wall. Seeing it was climbable, Knuckles started his ascent, climbing upwards as fast as his knuckles would allow. Sonic watched his friend climb up the side of the building, eventually jumping off and gliding away. Now he was on his own, enlightened by his talk with Knuckles. Sonic turned and started running full speed toward the Mystic Ruins, thinking it would be the best place to start looking for Amy.   
  
**********   
  
Tails was wondering if today was just an unlucky day or if Sonic had gotten better at hiding. He had to stop and rest from his long flight on the roof of a tall building, resting in the shade of a storage closet on the roof. The sun was already starting to go down, even though it was still pretty high in the sky. It was just low enough to cast a shadow, which Tails was thankful for. He felt like taking a nap, but he couldn't, not until he found Sonic.   
  
Just then he heard something on the other side of the closet. If he didn't know better Tails could have sworn it was the sound of wings flapping... He stood from his spot in the shade and slowly walked around the large closet, looking around the side to see what he heard. To his surprise, he found Rouge there, overlooking the city like she was looking for something. Tails hadn't gotten to know her that well after the Eclipse Cannon incident, he wasn't sure if he should even let her know he was here. She did seem troubles, though, like whatever she was looking for was escaping her easily... Tails couldn't resist helping, it wasn't in his heart to leave someone when they needed help.   
  
"Hey, Rouge?" Tails said, stepping into view. Rouge turned her head, surprised from Tails's sudden appearance. The two tailed fox was the last thing she expected to see up on this rooftop.   
  
"Tails?" She said in confusion. "What are you doing here?" Tails walked forward, joining her at the other side of the storage closet.   
  
"I was going to ask you the same thing." He replied. "It looks like you were looking for something, so I thought I could help." Rouge didn't know she was being so obvious in her search, but it wasn't the kind of thing she could look for discretely, either.   
  
"Well I am looking for something." Rouge said, looking away from Tails and back at the city. "But I'd rather find it on my own, it's personal business." Tails didn't know Rouge directly, but he heard enough from everyone else to learn quite a bit. If she was looking for anything, it would be a jewel of some kind, but he doubted she would look for a stray jewel in the city. When he realized the other thing she would be looking for, a mischievous grin crossed Tails's face.   
  
"Alright then." Tails said, pretending to start walking away. "If you don't want any help looking for Knuckles, that's okay." Rouge looked back at Tails in disbelief. First Amy had seen through her and now Tails, was she really being so obvious with this?   
  
"Hold it!" Rouge said, angry. "What gave you the idea that I was looking for that annoying echidna?" Tails expected her to act like that so it was no surprise. He turned to face her again, still wearing the same smile.   
  
"Rouge, it's not exactly a secret that you've got a crush on Knuckles." He said to her. "Knuckles wasn't the only one that could hear that comment you had on board the ARK. You said you found something more interesting than jewels, and the only thing you found other than jewels on your journeys was Knuckles, right?" No wonder Amy and Tails knew, one was a romantic and the other was intelligent, it must have been easy for both to put things together.   
  
"What if I am looking for Knuckles?" She said, trying not to reveal herself any more. "How would you be able to help if I can't find him?" Tails's smile lost it's mischievous look, becoming more casual.   
  
"Well I talked to him about an hour or two ago." He said, obviously getting Rouge's attention. "He's out gliding around now, I'm not surprised you haven't found him." Tails was careful not to tell Rouge that Knuckles was also looking for her, he thought if the two were going to get together he shouldn't let on about how the other feels.   
  
"...I don't suppose you know where his is now, do you?" Rouge said, reluctantly accepting help from Tails. Unfortunately Tails didn't know how to answer, he had no idea where he would be now, but he wanted to give at least some help.   
  
"Well I can't say where he is now..." He began. "But if you wait long enough at the entrance to Red Mountain, he'll show up. He has to go there to get back to the Floating Island." Now Rouge was curious, he had the emerald from that island, why go back?   
  
"Why would he want to go back there?" Rouge asked. "And how can you be sure that he would go back sometime today?" Now Tails was confused, everyone knew the story behind Knuckles.   
  
"Wait, you don't know?" Tails said. "That's where he lives, he guards the Master Emerald on that island." The announcement surprised Rouge, being the newest of their ranks she never knew about this.   
  
"Wait, you mean he actually lives up there?" She asked. "I thought he was just another treasure hunter that got there just before I did." Now Tails understood, she got to know Knuckles a bit, but not enough to know his back story. Tails knew the details, but decided it was best if she heard them from Knuckles.   
  
"Nope, that's his ancestral home." Tails explained. "He'll have to go back to check on the Master Emerald, so if you wait long enough he'll come by there." Now Rouge had more questions for Knuckles than she had before. At least she knew how to meet up with him now, that would take a lot of work out of her search.   
  
"Looks like that's what I'm doing, then..." Rouge said, stepping forward to the edge of the roof. "...Thanks for the help, Tails..." She said, almost regretfully. She was a loner by nature, she never had to thank anyone in her life.   
  
"No problem." Tails replied. "That's what friends are for." Rouge was about to jump off before she heard him say that. She never had anyone call her a friend before, let alone considered anyone she knew as a friend. It was strange, somewhat disturbing, but also comforting somehow. Rather than question it more, Rouge jumped forward, gliding back toward the train station she had left just a few hours before. Again Tails found himself alone, wondering why his luck helped everyone but himself. With Rouge gone he remembered how tired he was from his flight and returned to the other side of the storage shed, sitting against it in the shade. He looked up at the sky, wondering why he was running into everyone except Sonic...   
  
**********   
  
Rouge had been waiting for hours at the base of Red Mountain, perched on a large rock a few yards from the entrance to the mountain. She was ready to fall asleep from boredom, but she knew she had to stay alert, if this was her one shot at finding Knuckles she had to see it all the way through. The sun was setting, turning the sky a reddish orange. Sitting on the edge of the cliff, it was quite a sight, almost breathtaking, but after looking at it for so long it was becoming dull...She felt her eyelids giving out on her, not wanting to stay open any longer.   
  
Just as she was about to close her eyes, Rouge noticed a red object out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes shot open and looked over, seeing Knuckles walking toward her, though he was still a good distance away. She slipped off the rock and hid behind it, looking over it to see what he was doing. Rouge was surprised to see a depressed look on his face, for what reason she didn't know. Just then Knuckles turned toward the edge of the cliff, looking over it, then upward. Rouge knew it was now and never, she had to catch him before he returned to the island. She stepped out from behind the rock, resisting an urge to run toward him, not wanting to startle him. As she walked toward him, he must have seen her from the corner of his eye. Knuckled looked over, obviously surprised to see her there suddenly.   
  
"Rouge..." He said, swallowing a lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. "What are you doing here?" Rouge stopped a few feet from Knuckles, not wanting to get too close to him so suddenly.   
  
"Just passing through..." She said, not knowing any real excuse. "What about you?" She knew already, of course, but didn't know of anything else to say that wouldn't sound too eager.   
  
"I've gotta get back to the Master Emerald." He replied. "I've been away for too long already." Knuckles was really hoping she didn't ask why he had left, he didn't have any answer for her.   
  
"Yeah, I heard about that." She said, taking a step closer. "Is an overgrown jewel really worth all that trouble that you can't even leave it for a day?" Knuckles realized she didn't know about the Master Emerald's importance, she hadn't been around when Robotnic first went after it.   
  
"It's not just an ordinary gem, you know." He said. Just then he realized they were getting nowhere, he had to end this streak of aimless answers. "Maybe I can show you why it's so important?" Knuckles extended a hand toward Rouge, surprising her somewhat.   
  
"Well... I don't know." Rouge said, not sure if she should go along with this or not. Knuckles smiled reassuringly at her, now that he had started this he really wanted to go through with it.   
  
"Come on, you aren't going to call me a creep for taking your hand again, are you?" He said jokingly. Rouge resisted a slight giggle, then smiled back. She stepped beside Knuckles and hesitantly put her hand in his, holding on tight. She could feel the same surge in her system that she had the first time Knuckles held her hand a month ago, though she was trying her hardest not to show it. He wouldn't admit it, but Knuckles was going through the same thing. "There's a big updraft here." Knuckles explained. "Just use it to lift yourself up onto the island." Rouge nodded, stepping toward the edge. She could feel a slight wind just standing there, the main winds were just a few feet from the cliff. Knuckles looked at her one more time before nodding, signaling her to jump with him. She did, both of them feeling the updraft as soon as they were off the edge. Rouge spread her wings, catching the updraft and sending her skyward. She looked over to see Knuckles doing the same with his dreadlocks, his hand still holding tight to hers. She glanced upwards, seeing the island just overhead, coming closer fast. After only a minute the updraft pushed them over the edge, stopping about five feet above the edge of the island. The pair glided over the side, landing on the flying piece of land. Knuckles released Rouge's hand, both somewhat reluctant to part, and approached the shrine where Chaos was still standing.   
  
"I'm back, Chaos." Knuckled announced. "Thanks a lot, you can go ahead and rest." The aquatic creature nodded, then walked over to the empty moat surrounding most of the emerald. He stepped in, then slowly melted back into his liquid state, once again forming the moat. Rouge walked up to join Knuckles when the scene was over, not sure of what just happened.   
  
"Who... or what was that?" She said, looking down into the water that was Chaos just a minute ago. Knuckles walked over to the Master Emerald, remembering the events Chaos came into play in.   
  
"That was Chaos." Knuckles explained. "He's the original being that guarded the Master Emerald, along with the rest of the Chaos Emeralds when they were kept here, as well. One day a long time ago, the echidna tribe from the Mystic Ruins temple tried to take the emeralds by force. To protect them, Chaos absorbed them, transforming into a monstrous beast that devastated the echidnas and their temple. Tikal, the only echidna that was trying to protect the emeralds, managed to use the Master Emerald to absorb Chaos, but in the process left her trapped in the emerald, as well, forming a balance within the emerald. The echidnas that survived realized the power of the emeralds and took it upon themselves to guard them. They scattered the seven Chaos Emeralds across the world, then used the Master Emerald to elevate a piece of land into the sky. That land was Angel Island, which is still floating around to this day. They knew the Master Emerald was the most dangerous of all eight emeralds, so they thought it would be safest in the sky." Rouge listened with great interest, just now realizing how vital it was for Knuckles to guard the emerald.   
  
"But how did Chaos escape?" Rouge asked, wanting to hear more. "And why isn't the emerald still on Angel Island?" Knuckles knew she would have those questions as well, and thankfully he knew those parts of the story best of all.   
  
"That's where it gets interesting." Knuckles said before continuing. "By the time I was born on Angel Island, most echidnas had died out, and it wasn't long before my parents died, as well. As far as I know I'm the last of the echidnas. Originally I watched over the Master Emerald in Angel Island's Hidden Palace Zone, a palace inside of a mountain peak where it was kept in balance by a set of seven larger emeralds called Super Emeralds. It was around then when I met Sonic. Robotnic originally tricked me into stealing the Chaos Emeralds from Sonic and hiding them away. Robotnic had me so convinced Sonic was the enemy that I was constantly throwing traps to stop him. By the time I got back to Angel Island I found out Robotnic was after the Master Emerald. I tried to get back to it but he got away with it before I could stop him. If it wasn't for Sonic he would have gotten the Emerald. That's when I decided Angel Island was too big to protect the emerald effectively, so I returned the Master Emerald to the ruins of the shrine where it's powers would still be in balance, and left the Super Emeralds to keep Angel Island in the sky. I broke the shrine away from Angel Island so I could protect it better, but things seemed to get worse. One night Chaos broke free somehow, with the shrine ruined it couldn't contain him any longer. With Robotnic's help he managed to absorb the Chaos Emeralds again. Sonic managed to stop him and afterwards he returned to the shrine and took his former place here. Now he protects the Master Emerald when I can't." Knuckles took a second to get his breath back, still facing the Master Emerald. Rouge was amazed by how much of a story was behind the Master Emerald, now she realized why it was so important for Knuckles to protect the Emerald.   
  
"That's quite a story..." Rouge said, almost lost for words. "It must be quite an honor to be trusted with such an important duty." Knuckles wished she hadn't said that, it was far from the truth and he'd have to admit a lot to correct her.   
  
"Rouge, that's where you're wrong..." Knuckles said, hesitant to explain. He had been so honest with her now, though, there was nothing left to lose now. "This emerald is nothing but a burden, I'll be restricted to this floating piece of dirt for the rest of my life. I'm denied any kind of existence outside of this emerald's sight. Just in the last month it's cased me more pain than ever..." Knuckles didn't realize he said that last part until it was too late, he got too carried away. Rouge picked up the 'last month' part immediately and started to worry.   
  
"...And what was so bad about the past month?" She asked. Rouge's month hadn't been the best with Knuckles on her mind so much. Something in her was really hoping Knuckles had the same reason. Knuckles, of course, did have the same reason, but was reluctant to tell her. Knuckles could only think of what would happen afterwards, when they had to part again. His duty kept him on the island and she wouldn't accept that fact.   
  
"Why should I have to tell you?" Knuckles said, trying to counter his last comment. He thought if he reacted like that maybe she would give up the question. Rouge wasn't like that, though, the outburst only irritated her further.   
  
"Don't start that stubborn act now, Knuckles!" Rouge said, angered. "I took the time to hunt you down, you dragged me up here, you told me your life story, now tell me what the problem suddenly is!" Knuckles couldn't take this, he was learning first hand how much it hurt to have the one you loved angry at you.   
  
"It's you, alright?!" He shouted, turning to her suddenly. The outburst was out of instinct and had surprised both of them. Knuckles stepped back, dropping his head. "You're the reason the past month has been such a nightmare. I haven't been able to get you off of my mind and thanks to this stupid gemstone I haven't been able to come after you until now. Chaos can only sustain himself so long, that's the only reason I didn't come after you sooner..." Rouge couldn't believe it, just the thought of her was what made him so miserable? She stepped closer to the echidna, stopping just a foot from him. He turned his head away as she approached, ashamed of himself.   
  
"Knuckles..." She began, unsure of how to respond. "...you really mean what you said?" Knuckles hesitated, then nodded, his head still hanging low. Rouge lifted a hand to his face, guiding his head back up to look her in the eyes. "...Then let me make up for causing you so much pain..." Knuckles wondered what she meant for a second, then found Rouge just an inch from his face. Before he knew what happened she put her lips to his, gently kissing him. Knuckles couldn't believe it, this couldn't be real... Before he was sure his instincts took over, kissing her back a little deeper than the first. Now Rouge was surprised, but knew what was next. She put her arms around Knuckle's neck, closing her eyes, kissing back. Knuckles lifted a hand to her face, gently holding it as their kiss deepened, becoming more passionate by the second. Over a minute passed before the two separated, both of them at a loss for words and breath. The two stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity before reality hit Knuckles again. He closed his eyes, turning away from the girl that just threw his life into a whirl.   
  
"Knuckles, what is it?" Rouge asked, concerned, something even she never thought she would be. "I'm sorry if I was too forward, I just lost control for a second..." The echidna shook his head, more sad than anything.   
  
"No, it's not that at all..." He replied. "I explained to you before, I can't leave this island, not ever... I do love you, Rouge, I really do... but when you return to the mainland, I can't go with you..." Rouge was too caught in the moment to realize this. She finally had what she wanted more than anything in her life but couldn't keep it... Unless... Rouge's smile returned as an idea formed. She walked past Knuckles and to the Master Emerald, hopping onto it and sitting down on top of it.   
  
"That's too bad, you are stuck up here..." She said. Knuckles looked up at her, confused at her sudden calmness. "...but I'm not stuck down there, you know. I'm a traveler, I don't have just one home. But I can make exceptions." Knuckles never thought of that, he was too worried about finding her and how she would react.   
  
"You're sure?" He asked, in a bit of disbelief. "What about your treasure hunting? There isn't much to hunt up here." Rouge shook her head, still smiling.   
  
"I told you, I wanted to get out of it." She answered. "And I told you I found something I liked better than jewels. So now that I have you, jewels seem boring. Except for the one I'm sitting on, at least." Knuckles smiled, walking up to her and looking up into her eyes.   
  
"You're really sure?" He asked again. "It's not a glamorous life, it gets really boring sometimes." Rouge just shrugged, still smiling.   
  
"Says who?" She said. "Knuckles, I want to be with you, I don't care where we are or how boring it is. I love you, and it doesn't matter as long as I'm always with you." Knuckles had to be dreaming, this was all so perfect it couldn't be real. And yet it was, Rouge was there in front of him, willing to give up everything just to be on a tiny island in the sky with him. Knuckles jumped up onto the emerald, landing behind Rouge. He sat down behind her, putting his arms around her waist. Rouge put her hands on Knuckles's and leaned back, resting in his embrace. The two looked up, realizing it was now nightfall and the moon was already in the sky, still showing it's scars.   
  
"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that..." Rouge said, not just because it was so different, but also because she played a part in the damage. Knuckles's embrace tightened a bit, relaxing her a little.   
  
"I've tried my best not to look at it for the last month..." Knuckles explained. "Somehow seeing it with you, it doesn't look so bad anymore... At least we can help each other get used to it." Rouge turned her head, looking at Knuckles from the corner of her eye. She smiled again before resting her head on Knuckles's shoulder, closing her eyes to relax. Knuckles moved a hand to the back of her head, cradling her. For the past month, this had been but a dream, he still couldn't believe it had become a reality. The girl he spent the past month thinking about was now resting in his arms, willing to give up her life on the mainland just to be with him. For the longest time, Knuckles wondered if he was cursed to live out his life alone, secluded on the island, watching over the Master Emerald. Now he could only wonder why so many were cursed to never live such a perfect existence.   
  
**********   
  
Amy sat at the edge of the lagoon in the Mystic Ruins, watching the waterfall in front of her flow into the small pond. She had been here for hours, ever since she ran into Rouge at the ruins, too lost in thought to leave. Many questions drifted through her mind, but she didn't have any answers to them. Was Sonic really worth going after even if he wasn't interested? That seemed to go through her mind more than any of the other questions, and right now it was the only one she wished she knew the answer to.   
  
"What am I thinking, Sonic is worth it..." Amy said to herself. "But at this rate I'll spend the rest of my life going after him... Even if I don't want to, if I'm going to get on with my life, I have to forget about him." Amy never thought she would be saying those words, but it was true. As much as she loved Sonic, he couldn't be in her life.   
  
"Amy! Where are you?!" She heard someone shout. It sounded like Sonic, but why would he want to find her? She didn't want to see him, not now. Amy looked around, only to find no cover in sight, if he looked down here he would see her... Unless... Amy got to her feet and ran over to the wall of the cliff, pushing herself against it. Now even if Sonic was on the edge of the cliff he would have to look straight down to even catch a glimpse of her. It wasn't long before Amy could see Sonic at the edge above her, looking across the gap toward the waterfall. She was safe as long as he didn't look down far enough.   
  
"Amy, you down there?!" Sonic yelled, a desperate tone in his voice. It was strange, Amy never heard Sonic sound like that before... Whatever he wanted might be more important than she first thought it would be... Amy had to stay away, though, she didn't have any other choice... She looked up again at Sonic, now noticing how worried he looked. It was too much for Amy, she still loved him and couldn't stand to see him like this.   
  
"Yeah, Sonic, I'm here." She reluctantly shouted. Sonic looked down at Amy, very relieved to see her. He jumped down and turned to her as soon as he touched ground. Only now that he found her, he wasn't sure what to say, he didn't put much thought into it until now. How do you tell a girl you've been running from for years that you love her?   
  
"Amy, I've been looking for you for hours." He said, deciding he should at least be honest. Amy was a bit curious about why he would look for her, but at the moment she didn't care, there were more important things to get to.   
  
"Well good." Amy said, an unusually serious tone in her voice. "I've got something to tell you." Sonic wished it was going to be one of her usual 'my hero' speeches, but something in her voice told him this wasn't going to be good news.   
  
"...Amy, why are you so serious all of a sudden?" Sonic asked. "I've never heard you like this before." Now that she thought about it, it was really weird for her to be so serious. This was supposed to be serious, though, it was unavoidable.   
  
"Sonic, for the last month I've been trying to avoid you." Amy admitted. "I had to get you out of my mind, I had to stop thinking about you. It's not something I've wanted to do, more like had to do. I've been in love with you for the past two years but you've only been annoyed by it. I finally decided I don't want to be in love with someone that's never going to love me back. If anything, it's the only thing I'll ever do that made you happy." Sonic couldn't believe what he was hearing, all the torment he had been through in the last month and after his final revelation today, this was the last thing he thought he would hear.   
  
"Amy... You're really serious about this?" Sonic said, in disbelief. Amy nodded with closed eyes, holding back a few tears.   
  
"Yes, Sonic." She replied. "I can't have you in my life anymore, not ever... Thinking bask on the last two years, I realized how hopeless it was to go after you so much. Usually looking back at my time knowing you I see the best two years of my life... Now it makes me depressed because of how hopeless it all was, angry for being rejected so often, and sad because I wasted so much time on something I could never have." This was getting to be too much for the blue hedgehog to bear, this was all coming so fast and hitting so hard he couldn't stand it. And at the same time he didn't have any choice but to remain and take it, he couldn't run off now or he'd lose any chance he had left, if any.   
  
"Amy, at least let me explain..." Sonic said, unsure if anything he could even explain himself. Amy didn't want to hear it, though, as far as she was concerned it was past explanations.   
  
"Sonic, you've had two years to explain and you never have." Amy said, now a tone of anger with her voice. "I can't have you in my life anymore, not ever. Just leave, I don't want to see you anymore or hear anything you have to say." Sonic felt like a piece of himself was being ripped out before it was even used. It was hard to describe, it was an overwhelming feeling of sadness and depression, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He guessed it was heartbreak, he didn't know of any better way to describe it.   
  
"Fine..." He said reluctantly. "If that's what you really want, you'll never have to see me again..." Sonic turned to walk away, trying not to show how upset he really was, something that was unusually difficult for him. He only made it a few steps before he stopped again, suddenly determined to say what he came to say. Even if she wasn't going to listen, at least he could say it. He turned his head, not enough to see Amy, but enough so she would hear him better.   
  
"You're not the only one trying to forget things this month." Sonic said. Amy could hear him fine, but wasn't interested. "I've had you stuck in my head for the last month and it was driving me nuts, I was running for hours a night trying to get you off my mind. When I finally stopped running I realized what had happened. Things didn't feel right without you chasing after me, it was like a part of me was missing. I was so stubborn I didn't realize everything until just today. I didn't realize how important you were to me, how much I liked it when you were around. I didn't realize I was in love with you..." Amy's interest suddenly peaked, for a second she thought Sonic hadn't really said that. "I was looking for you to tell you that, but since you've already decided, I'll leave you to it. I hope you have a good life, Amy." With that finally said, Sonic turned to walk off again, glad he at least got that off his chest.   
  
"Sonic, wait..." He heard behind him. Sonic turned again, this time all the way around. Amy was looking on at him, a strange look on her face.   
  
"You really mean that, don't you?" She said, a flat tone to her voice. Sonic nodded in response, not sure what to expect next.   
  
"I wouldn't kid about something like this, you know that." He replied. "I mean this more than anything else in my life, believe me." Amy wasn't sure how to take this, she felt disbelief and anger all at once.   
  
"Sonic, it took me a month to realize what a nightmare the last two years were." She said. "Even if you finally do feel the same way, it doesn't erase the past, Sonic. I can't ever forgive you for the past two years. Nothing could make me forget it." Sonic felt his last bit of hope start to slip away, unsure how to keep a hold of it.   
  
"You're right." He admitted. "It doesn't make up for what I've put you though. Nothing I ever do may make up for it, but believe me, I'm going to regret doing it for the rest of my life. I'll never forgive myself for causing you so much pain..." This was the Sonic that Amy always hoped she would see, but after her own revelations, it was too late for it. This was all starting to overwhelm her, confusing her to no end. The two stood silent for what seemed like an eternity, both collecting their thoughts and waiting for the other to speak again.   
  
"I don't know what to think anymore, everything going through my mind is scrambled." She said. Amy walked back to the edge of the lagoon, sitting down on the edge, looking into the water. "Let me think about this... I have to let things sort out for a while..." Sonic didn't know what to think, he was hanging onto the slimmest strand of hope possible, but at least he had a tight grip now.   
  
"Okay then..." Sonic said, walking over to a nearby palm tree. He turned his back to it, putting himself on the ground until he was laying down with his head propped up by the tree. "Take as long as you need, I can wait." Amy only nodded in response, already deep in thought. Sonic could only wait and see what happened next, from here on out it was Amy's choice. He didn't know what he would do if the answer came out bad, it was too hard to imagine a life without Amy now. The thought was almost painful to him, but he had to expect it in case that really was her choice. Sonic wouldn't blame her if she did answer that way, he wouldn't forgive him in her shoes. He took a few deep breaths, trying not to think about it, and tried to relax, watching Amy intently for her final decision.   
  
**********   
  
The next morning Tails sat at the steps that lead into Station Square's train station, frustrated to no end. He ran into Amy, then Knuckles, then Rouge, but no Sonic, not even a stray blue quill. Sonic never stayed out so late, he would always at least check in with him before running off for the night. Tails was getting really worried now, what if something happened to Sonic that's been keeping him away?   
  
"Come on, you can't start thinking like that." Tails said to himself, trying to reassure himself. "Sonic can get out of any trouble, he wouldn't still be away unless it was something important." At least that was what he was hoping. The fox couldn't search anymore if he tried, he didn't even get much sleep last night and his tails were too sore to even twitch. Tails laid back on the steps, his tails to both his sides, waiting for Sonic to come to him for once.   
  
"You aren't giving up now, are you?" Someone asked from the road. Tails picked his head up just enough to see Knuckles standing there, looking on at him.   
  
"It's not by choice, believe me." Tails said in an exhausted voice, putting his head back against the steps. "My tails decided to take a break. They both have minds of their own so they outsmart me." Tails could hear a slight laugh, but it didn't sound like Knuckles, it sounded female. Tails sat up to see Knuckles wasn't alone. Rouge was standing beside him, holding his hand, which really surprised the young fox.   
  
"Good to see you, too." She said, smiling at him. "Knuckles told me about his run-in with you so we thought we'd drop in and say thanks for helping us out." Tails forced himself to his feet and walked over to join the couple, still a little in disbelief.   
  
"No problem." He replied. "Why are you back here, though, Knuckles? Shouldn't you be back on the Floating Island?" Knuckles looked over to Rouge, then back to the fox, shaking his head,   
  
"Chaos volunteered to watch the emerald another day." The echidna replied. "I guess he wanted to give us a day down here together." Tails smiled, glad that both of them had what they wanted now.   
  
"I never thought Chaos would do something nice for us." Tails admitted. Somehow this news lifted Tails's spirits a bit, he felt like he could start looking again. "Maybe I should go looking again, I guess another hour couldn't hurt." Tails was about to leave, thinking of his next search area, when Rouge shook her head.   
  
"Somehow I doubt it will take that long." Rouge said. "We saw him on our way over here, at the waterfall at the Mystic Ruins." Tails was glad to hear Sonic was alright, but couldn't figure out how he got to the Mystic Ruins, last he checked Sonic was running away from the ruins.   
  
"That's good to hear." Tails replied. "He is alright, isn't he? I mean, he wasn't hurt or anything?" Knuckles frowned slightly, shrugging a bit.   
  
"We only caught a glimpse of him when we went by." He said. "Go take a look if you want, he should still be there." Tails smiled before turning up the steps to catch the train. Before he got all the way up, Tails looked back at the couple, who were still watching him.   
  
"Aren't you two coming?" Tails asked. "I'm sure Sonic would like to know that you guys got together." Knuckles and Rouge exchanged a glance, both wondering what the other wanted to do.   
  
"Well we do have all day." Rouge said. "I don't see how it could hurt." Knuckles thought about it for a second before nodding, then looking back at Tails.   
  
"Alright then, why not?" The echidna said. Tails smiled, then continued up the steps, now followed by Rouge and Knuckles. Once inside, the fox became too impatient to see Sonic, taking to the air to get up to the train faster. Knuckles and Rouge had to dash up the steps after him to catch the train. The two barely got on board in time, the door almost closing on their tails. Before the train got to full speed the three found seats near the door. As usual the train was empty, just the three of them sharing one of the booths.   
  
"I can't believe it." Tails said to the couple in the seat across from him. "I spent a full day looking for Sonic and you just happened to see him? That doesn't seem fair..." Knuckles had to resist the urge to chuckle at the fox's frustration, he certainly knew how it felt to spend a day looking for someone just have them fall in your lap.   
  
"At least you know where he is at all, right?" Rouge pointed out. Tails had to agree with that, better this than remain on the stairs feeling sorry for himself. He looked out the window beside him, looking at the scenery blurring by.   
  
"I'm sure Sonic's going to be happy to see you." Knuckles added. "He's had some time to see things and clear his thoughts, I'm sure he feels bad about running off yesterday." Tails remained silent, still worried about Sonic. The couple in front of him were hiding any details, making him wonder what exactly had happened to Sonic. They seemed to be acting normally, it was hard to tell how bad what they were hiding was. Maybe it was just his own imagination, Knuckles did say they only caught a glimpse of him.   
  
After a few more minutes the train arrived at the Mystic Ruins, with Tails jumping off as soon as the doors opened. Knuckles and Rouge were more patient, walking out behind him, hand in hand. Tails looked around the immediate area, trying to see if Sonic was nearby. The fox jumped from the wooden platform to the ground with Knuckles and Rouge following after.   
  
"Slow down, Tails." Knuckles said. "Sonic's not going anywhere, he's right where we saw him." Tails looked back at Knuckles in confusion. What would make Sonic stay still for once in his life?   
  
"So where is he?!" Tails asked, still in a rush. "Come on, guys, don't do this to me now!" Knuckles shook his head in frustration at Tails's lack of patients.   
  
"Okay, okay, calm down." Rouge said. "Check over the hill, at the lagoon. Just... be prepared for the worst." Tails, now in a panic, didn't waste any time, twirling his tails to dash over as fast as he could. Once at the edge he looked down at the lagoon below, scanning the area. Eventually his eyes fell onto something he never thought he would see. There was Sonic, sleeping with his head against a tree with Amy cradled in his arms, her head resting on his chest and her arms around Sonic. Tails looked on in disbelief, with no idea how this was possible. After a minute Knuckles and Rouge joined him at the edge of the hill, looking down at the two hedgehogs.   
  
"How... how..." Tails couldn't think of anything to say, his entire vocabulary had left him. Knuckles couldn't help but chuckle a bit.   
  
"Wish we could tell you." Knuckles said. "I think he'd better tell all three of us when they wake up." Rouge nodded, just as curious about it as the other two.   
  
"You knew!" The fox said, turning to Rouge and Knuckles. "You knew this had happened all along and you didn't tell me?!" Both Rouge and Knuckles held back giggles, both of them somewhat proud of their acting.   
  
"Sorry, we wanted it to be a big surprise." Rouge explained. "We thought it would be more surprising if you thought something bad happened." Tails wasn't sure how to take this, he could take a practical joke, but this was a bit much, especially from these two. "Should we wake them up and find out the story now?" Rouge suggested. Knuckles was going to answer until Tails shook his head, interrupting him.   
  
"Better let them wake up on their own." He said. "We can wait at my shop until they come around. We can get something for breakfast there, too." Now that Tails mentioned it both Knuckles and Rouge realized they hadn't eaten yet. Their first morning together was such an exciting thing they forgot about things that didn't seem as important like hunger.   
  
"Alright then, I just hope Sonic doesn't want to sleep in." Knuckles said. Tails nodded, definitely agreeing, before walking away from the edge toward his workshop. Knuckles and Rouge looked at the two hedgehogs once more before turning to follow Tails, leaving the new couple in peace.   
  
After a minute of silence, Sonic cracked his eye open a little, looking at the ledge above them. After seeing that his three friends had left, Sonic opened both eyes, smiling a bit.   
  
"Alright, they left." Sonic said. Amy opened her eyes, lifting her head just enough to see Sonic. "Good thing Tails makes so much noise when he runs with those tails of his." Amy giggled a bit, just as glad for that as Sonic.   
  
"Yeah, last thing I want to do right now is spend an hour explaining this to them." She replied. She put her head back on Sonic's chest, holding onto him a little tighter. "I want this to last a little longer, then we can tell them." Sonic nodded, holding her a little closer to him.   
  
"Yeah." Sonic replied. "This won't be the last time we get to do this, though." Amy knew that, of course, after last night she wouldn't have had it any other way.   
  
"I know, but it's still the first time." She replied. "I want it to last as long as possible." Sonic wanted the same, even if his friends were waiting on them, this was something he'd remember for the rest of his life.   
  
"I thought you said you'd never forgive me for the past two years?" Sonic said. Amy looked up at Sonic enough to smile at him.   
  
"And I never will." She said. "But you'll have plenty of time to make up for it, right?" She had a point there, Sonic couldn't imagine a day going by where Amy wasn't in his life. It was ironic, a month ago it was his biggest wish, now it was his biggest fear.   
  
"You're right." Sonic said. "Believe me, I'll try as hard as I can to make up for how much grief I caused." Amy's eyes seem to light up a bit, her smile a bit wider. Sonic was about to smile back when Amy pushed herself forward a bit, enough to put her lips to Sonic's, kissing him for the first time, the one thing she always dreamed about doing. Sonic took a second to recover from the shock before closing his eyes to return the kiss, somewhat in disbelief this was happening to him. It was the best thing that ever happened to him, he couldn't remember a better time in his life than that moment. After a minute the two separated, both getting over the sudden thrill of the kiss. Amy slid back down to put her head to Sonic's chest, closing her eyes. Sonic put a hand on the back of her head, the other on her back, holding her close to him.   
  
"I love you, Sonic..." Those words sent a pleasant chill through Sonic, like a jolt of electricity hit him. Amy had said it so often in the last couple of years but it never meant so much to him.   
  
"I love you, too, Amy..." He replied. Part of him still couldn't believe he was saying that, but he meant it more than anything, and he knew he'd be saying it many more times, each time meaning it more and more. For two years he had been running from Amy, but he had to slow down to realize what he was missing, and for once in his life, Sonic was glad he took the time to slow down and let her catch up to him.   
  
The End   
  
Well that's my first Sonic fic. I know it's a bit mixed around, I wanted to get everyone in as evenly as I could. My next Sonic fic will probably only focus on one couple rather than get both together at once, it should be a bit easier to read. Maybe I'll even throw in Shadow... Until then! 


End file.
